These bite-sized nuggets are totally potato-free. And in place of all those spuds? Creamy butternut squash, minced onions and a touch of chopped fresh sage, which takes this flavor profile straight into your fall appetizer-snack-lunchbox-dinner lineup.

Baked butternut squash tots score big wins across the board:

They’re baked and not fried.

They’re super easy to freeze and rewarm as needed.

They’re just as tasty when baked in a mini muffin pan (read: time-saver!).

So if you’re concerned about the prep time, you can roast the squash a day in advance and then skip the shaping and rolling into tot form and simply scoop the mixture into a greased mini muffin pan (more notes below on cook times).

And for all those who are not members of the Fresh Sage Fan Club, you can easily leave it out or sub in any other fresh herb, such as thyme or rosemary.

When it comes to dipping and dunking, the sky’s the limit. I’m partial to ketchup, but ranch dressing and spicy mustard come in a close second and third place.

Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and grease it with cooking spray.

Add the cubed butternut squash to the baking sheet then drizzle it with the olive oil and toss to combine. Sprinkle the squash with salt and pepper then roast it for about 15 minutes or just until it’s fork tender but still fairly firm.

Transfer the butternut squash to a food processor and process just until roughly pureed. (Do not over-process the squash or it will be too loose to hold its shape when in tot form.) Measure out 3 packed cups and transfer it to a large bowl.

Stir in the minced onions, breadcrumbs, egg, sage, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.

Using your hands, portion out 1- to 2-tablespoon portions of the mixture and shape it into tots. Arrange the tots on the lined baking sheet, spacing them 1/2-inch apart.

Bake the tots for 20 minutes then flip them once and bake them an additional 20 to 25 minutes or until crispy. Remove the tots from the oven and serve them with ketchup, mustard, ranch dressing or your preferred dipping sauce.

Kelly's Note:

To save time, the tot mixture can be portioned out and baked inside a greased mini muffin pan. Follow the same baking instructions noted above, but decrease the baking time based on how crispy you prefer your tots.

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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.